A federal judge has granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a permanent injunction against Truman J. Berst, doing business as Alternative Health & Herbs Remedies of Albany, Ore., for selling products represented as herbs and supplements with claims for treating diseases.

Berst markets the products on his website, www.healthherbs.com, as alternative herbal medicine for serious disease conditions, such as cataracts, viral and bacterial infections, and cancer. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a product is a drug if it is intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. Berst’s products are drugs which have not been approved by FDA for their claimed uses.

“This company has ignored previous FDA warnings and has continued to produce and distribute products in violation of federal law,” said Melinda Plaisier, FDA’s acting associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “The FDA continues to protect public health by seeking enforcement action against companies that are identified as violating our manufacturing and drug approval requirements.”